“OUR loved ones could have been facing a very different Christmas this year”, a group of sailors plucked to safety off the coast of Ceredigion during Storm Arwen have said, as they heaped praise on crews from New Quay and Barmouth for saving their lives.

As the Cambrian News reported earlier this month, the four men were travelling from Ireland to Aberystwyth in an ocean rowing boat as part of a training exercise in challenging sea conditions at the height of Storm Arwen when they got into difficulty.

New Quay RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched with six volunteer crew member on board in north westerly gale force winds in excess of 30mph and gusting in places over 50mph.